


Magic Tricks

by 29PheonixLement



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, Shapeshifting, Younger Robin uses magic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-02
Updated: 2020-08-02
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:35:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25662958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/29PheonixLement/pseuds/29PheonixLement
Summary: Just another of my two-part one-shots featuring two of my favored OUAT couples. Mainly a Curious Archer ficlet but Kansas Wolf does make an appearance.
Relationships: Alice | Tilly/Robin | Margot, Dorothy Gale/Red Riding Hood | Ruby
Kudos: 11





	Magic Tricks

“Come on again.” Robin groaned as soon as she spots their furry shadow already waiting for them on the front porch of their little cottage. “Couldn’t have just one day to ourselves huh?” she adds finishing in zipping up her jacket while Alice locks up the house before they head out for the day.

It had started a few days after they’d gotten back from more of less saving the world again but with Regina now working on a way to join all realms together and being no closer to finding a way to send the two time travelers back to their own time Robin and Alice were more or less stuck in the archer’s home town at the moment.

Annoyed green eyes snap to her own as the lounging golden furred cat rolled over onto its side after laying out in the warm patch of sunlight with an equally annoyed yowl in greeting as it pads over to them.

Or more to the point toward Alice.

“Now, now girls.” The blue-eyed blonde huffs noting the soft hissing as the pair continue to glare at one another. “No need to fight.” She reminds kneeling to give the cub a few loving scratched behind its ears turning her annoyed grumbling into loud happy purrs as the cub nuzzles against her side in a more affectionate greeting.

At first glance, the caramel-colored cat could have been mistaken for a slightly larger house cat, but Alice knew differently. This wasn’t just a kitten but a lioness. A lioness who just so happened to have the exact same shade of green eyes one Alice Jones find so hypnotizingly beautiful.

It was rather adorable actually that the five-year-old honestly believes they haven’t figured her out yet.

“You’re going to be quiet the huntress when you’re older aren’t you.” Alice praises running her hands in the downy soft fur of the cubs back “We didn’t even hear you creep up on us. Sneaky girl.” the lion cub’s purrs only grew louder at the praise while Alice’s gaze catching the more adult Robin’s out of the corner of her eye sending the blushing archer a playful wink while also noting the nicely forming bruise blossoming on her love’s throat from their earlier activities.

The funny thing was she hadn’t much thought of herself as the possessive sort until she met the acquaintance of a certain dark blonde, forest eyed archer. Now she uses any chance she has to remind everyone who pays attention that Robin Mills was hers.

The flushed cheeked archer in question seems to be sporting a rather smug grin of her own “You might want to pull your collar down a little more.” She whispers pretending to be retying the laces on her hiking boots in order to be able to whisper the suggestion against her girlfriend’s ear while her younger self was properly distracted with trying to ‘catch’ one of the sunbeams now throwing little rainbows against the porch boards. “I can barely see my teeth marks against that pretty skin of yours with is up that high.”

The soft hitch in Alice’s breath makes Robin hum in pride while she finishes sending off a text to her mom about her younger self spending the day and she suspected the night as well with them.

“Aaawww. Thanks, little love.” Alice smiles as the cub in question pads back over to them with a roughly tugged up wildflower clamped between her teeth. “It’s beautiful.” She declares bringing the slightly chewed offering up to her nose then proudly winding it into her hair while the young lion’s tail thrashes back and forth in a mini blur from happiness at the sight. “How do I look?” the blue-eyed realm jumper wonders turning back to the other two once she was finished.

“Pretty.” Both Robin’s answer at the same time. One with the more human words and the other in an agreeing chirped mew.

Alice smiles checking her reflection in the front glass window before turning her full attention to the lion cub sitting on her front porch. “Ready for another adventure?” she asks in a much more serious tone than any she’s used so far earning a happy purring chirp as the cub version of the woman she would one day fall head over heels in love with stretches out properly after her sunny nap before carefully looping her tail around the taller woman’s leg as they started down the stairs leaving a pouting adult Robin still standing on the porch.

“Seriously Tower Girl?”

Alice pauses sending her sulking girlfriend a soft smile over her shoulder. “Seriously Nobin.” She nodded. “Now come on.” She prompts holding out her hand. “Adventure awaits.”

After a few seconds of thought, the archer gives in with a huffed “Lucky I love you, Jones.” As she stomps down the steps to take the outstretched fingers in her own.

“Aaww I love you too, Mills,” Alice answers pressing a soft kiss against her girlfriend’s cheek then another a little more insistent one against her lips with both young women momentarily ignoring the unhappy mews from the five-year-old turned lion cub sitting beside them.

“Hey, trust me, kid, someday you won’t mind all the PDA so much,” Robin warns pulling back from the kiss far to early for either of their liking to catch the way her younger self was now swiping a paw across her eyes. “Or at all really.” She grins leaning back in for another much more tamed kind of kiss as Alice’s arms drape across her shoulders while hers drop around her realm jumper’s waist.

“Or is my little love feeling left out?” Alice guesses noticing the rather human pout and sad pleading eyes she was getting from the much younger and currently cat formed Robin now winding herself around Alice’s leg seeking attention.

“You’re killing me kid.” Robin grumbled while Alice pulled the now smug looking lion cub into her arms peppering her face with little kisses.

*****

“Hey, hey, hey no need for the claws wild cat.” Red huffs, but everyone with eyes can tell she was fighting to hold in her laughter at the kitten-like swipes Alice’s self-appointed protector made at her ankles when the waitress pauses for a greeting hug with the golden-haired realm jumper when the trio made a side trip into the dinner around lunchtime.

The three choosing to sit outside rather than risk a well feared Granny glare at the idea of cat hair in her diner.

“She’s my friend too you know.” The werewolf points out her eyes sliding to a guilty-looking Robin as she spoke.

The comment earning a grumbled hissed mew in reply as the lion cub that was five-year-old Robin jumps up into Alice’s lap with a grumbled huff as she circled around before laying down her head resting against Alice’s jean covered knee.

“Oh, that’s too cute.” Dorothy determines tossing a dish towel over one shoulder as she steps out of the diner herself one to check on Toto who’d been curled up for an afternoon nap in the shade of one for the tables and to get her own Alice hug cause dang the girl gave good hugs.

“I know right.” Red agreed her arm sliding at once around her fiancée’s waist as she, Dorothy, and Alice shake in quiet laughter and Robin tries to melt into the ground in embarrassment.

“Don’t mind her.” Alice sighs carefully scooping the now dozing lion cub from her lap and into her arms. “she’s just grumpy cause she missed her nap time.” She covers sending a blushing Robin sitting beside her a flirtatious wink while enjoying the happy purrs against her shoulder and the tickling of fur against her skin as ‘cub Robin’ shifts into a more comfortable position against her shoulder. Her paws (claws carefully sheathed) kneading the back of her shirt with a happy yawn at the mention of sleep. Her heavy eyelids already losing the fight to stay open the longer Alice’s hands keep massaging out the tensed muscles between the cat’s shoulders.

Rolling her eyes at the cuteness of the move the cub’s adult version rattles off a few choices from the menu she’d all but memorized by the time she’d hit her teen years causing an even bigger grin from her impressed girlfriend while a giggling Red and Dorothy both departed with an agreeing node walking hand in hand back into the diner with Toto close at their heels.

“First off.” Robin starts dragging Alice’s chair closer to her own as she drops her voice to a low whisper despite the trio being the only ones at the diner taking advantage of the sunny day, “I’m not grumpy just upset that I have to share my time with you with someone else. Even if that someone is just myself when I was five.” The archer turned curse created bartender explains “And as far as my nap time goes.”

Alice gives an involuntary shiver at the sudden spark in her love’s gaze as Robin’s fingers braid themselves in her hair as her chin rests against Alice’s shoulder. “Well, I’m just going to go on record to say that it wasn’t totally my fault I wasn’t allowed to sleep in this morning.” The archer reminded reaching out for the soda Dorothy dropped off with a node in thanks that the hero answered with a shy smile but didn’t say anything more as she turned away pretending not to notice just how flushed Alice was looking now as she headed back inside.

Alice’s tongue flicked out to wet her lips before her face smoothed into a more controlled expression as blue eyes find green ones. “Not my fault you look so delectable first thing in the morning love.” Feeling more than seeing Robin’s answering grin against her mouth as her archer’s lips meet her own.

A sleepy but nervous sounding trill breaks the kissing couple apart this time.

“Dammit, kid.” Robin sighed her forehead now resting against Alice’s as they caught their mingled breath while the lion’s tail thrashed against her leg as the cat’s ears swiveled as she shook herself awake nervous gray-green eyes locked on the sky overhead.

“Robin?” Alice asks cautiously resting a hand against the lion cub’s back after the younger version of the woman she would come to love clawed her way from Alice’s lap into her more grown-up self’s nuzzling her face against the archer’s stomach as if attempting to hide if she just pressed close enough. “Robin, sweetheart what’s wrong?” Alice tried again once a panicked glance at her love showed her Robin seemed to be just as in the dark as she was at the action as four sets of sharper than expected claws unsheathe and dig in passed the protective barrier of Robin’s pant leg into the soft skin of her thigh as if bracing against some unknown danger after another panicked glance up at the no longer cloudless sky.

Seconds later an ominous crack of lightning light up the graying clouds.

“Don’t let him get me, please.” The now panicked five-year-old clinging to Robin’s front pleads her arms locked around the old girl’s neck as she hides her face even more against the archer’s shoulder. “Don’t let him take me like he took Daddy.” She mumbled just loud enough for her older self to hear her as she clings on even harder at the following roll of thunder.

Realization dawns for one of them while the other is busy tugging her jacket off the back of the chair to drape across the younger girl’s back when she noticed that now she was human again all the youngster had on was a thin sleep shirt and shorts set that would in no way protect from the drop in temperature as the storm rolled in.

“I’ve got you kiddo,” Robin vowed finding it only a little odd at having to cradle herself in her arms as she stood up from her chair. “I promise. He’s never coming after us again.” That seemed to catch Alice’s attention making her mouth drop into a little ‘oh’ as she too realized what was going on.

“Seriously Tower Girl. Can you at least try not being so damn cute until we can get uh-- mini-me back home please?”

That at least earned the softest breath of a giggle from the scared little girl cradled in Robin’s arms. “No. Be cute.” younger Robin argues but hides back into the safety of her older self’s shoulder on another even brighter crack of lightning.

Robin even feels herself start to tremble at the sight. Flashes of memories she’d thought long buried pushing back into her mind.

“Hey,” Alice whispers her arms wrapping reassuringly around Robin’s waist. Much to Robin’s thanks she chooses not to notice how wet the archer’s eyes have become in the few moments her gaze was diverted toward the heavens, or at least has the kindness to blame any moisture on the rain if she does. “Let’s get you, home love.”

Robin sniffs with a weak node in agreement as Alice’s arms wind even tighter around her middle.

*****

“How---How’d we…” Little Robin hiccups as the older two hurry up the pathway toward the cover of the porch of the cozy cottage.

“Magic.” Alice smiles giving the five-year-old’s nose a playful boop with her free hand while the other digs into the pocket of her jeans for her keys.

“Babe.” Robin grunts shifting her younger self in her arms. “You gave them back to me remember?”

“Did not you stole them.” Alice scoffed tugging her grinning archer toward her by her belt loops.

“Borrowed.” Robin corrects setting the child in her arms down leaving her hands free to wind around Alice’s waist instead. “Besides, I have to keep my pickpocketing skills as sharp as my aim otherwise you might not like me as much.” She reasons while Alice’s hands continue their gentle pawing at her backside in a blind hunt for the pilfered keys.

“I wouldn’t be marrying you if I didn’t like you just a little bit Nobin.” Alice reminded as they start to sway back and forth to the rhythm of the rain letting her hands wander from Robin’s front pockets to the back ones.

“Only a little huh?” Robin laughed the sound mixing both with the rain and the rumble of thunder as the storm picked up.

“Mmm-Humm” Alice nodes resting her forehead against Robin’s while her hands paused their search and instead just remained tucked into the slightly taller girl’s back pockets as their little dance continues.

The surprised whisper of “I get to marry you?” was followed by the soft click of the latch as the door unlocked.

“We uh---I just asked this morning, so we haven’t exactly told anyone else yet.” Robin stammered her cheeks coloring up in a deep blush as she lets her arms drop to her sides and allowed Alice to step away from her.

“How---” Alice asks impressed also coloring up while Little Robin smiles in pride as she holds up the extra key. “We put it the same place Mom hides the one at home.” She shrugs twirling the key ring around her fingers. “But if we are going to be married why…” she started to ask her eyes flickering to the empty space on Alice’s left hand.

“We haven’t found the right one.” The archer cuts off with a guilty expression

“Okay.” The younger girl shrugged but Alice could tell by her expression that she was up to something as she turned skipping over to the other side of the porch to the little patch of wildflowers with her archer self a few steps behind her.

The pair seeming not to notice the rain or the nearly blinding cracks of lightning at all as they knelt down shoulder to shoulder.

“What are you two up to?” Alice chuckles taking a seat on the little swing as she watched the duo.

“What about that one?”

Before either of the adults could ask _‘what about what one?’_ the five-year-old had already hopped over the railing and had run out into what passed for the yard.

“Kid”

“Nobin come back before you catch a cold.”

“But I had to get this.” The younger girl pouts hugging the newly tugged up flower against her chest as she jogged back under the cover of the porch her clothes now completely sticking to her skin as she moved.

“She’s you, alright love. Always running into trouble.” Alice smiles giving her Robin’s side a playful nudge

The Robin at her side simply rolls her eyes at the jab. “Let get the wild cat inside and warmed up.”

“I didn’t know Granny’s had delivery.” Little Robin commented as soon as the trio crossed the threshold into the house.

Robin paused in the act of kicking off her rain-soaked boots by the door as her eyes find her younger self’s. “I wish they did. That would be totally _wicked_.”

Alice rolled her eyes at the double grin the two Robin’s was sporting as she finished hanging up her jacket missing the pass off between the two or the wink the younger girl sent her older self while Alice’s back was turned. “You sure about that?” the blue-eyed blonde laughed following the scent of freshly made French fries into the kitchen while Robin guided her now shaking younger self into the guest room for some warmer clothes after that dash into the rain.

“Trust me Alice if Granny’s delivered, I would have treated you to one of her famous burger and milkshake combos a whole lot sooner.” Robin laughed handing over one of the fluffier towels and a bundle of dry clothes before herding her into the bathroom to change.

“Then what do you call this love?” Alice challenged holding up two large takeout bags both of them sporting the ‘Granny’s Dinner’ in the front.

“Remind me to give Dor a hug next time we stop in.” Robin chuckled recognizing the handwriting of her mother’s former enemy in the scribbled note that had been added on with the delivery slip and receipt prints outs stapled to the folded over tops of the bags in an attempt to keep the food warm.

_‘Hope this helps. I’m not a fan of thunderstorms either.’_

“Not until you show me what little you risked your health to go get.”

Robin shifted nervously against the bedspread. “Oh, that.”

Alice nodes setting the takeout bag down as she crosses over toward the bed. “Aye that. Now what was is?”

“Well, you could call it a place holder I guess.” The archer shrugged picking at a stray string on the bedspread whilst Alice crawled up onto the bed herself.

“Place holder?” Alice repeated crossing her legs under her as she settled down mirroring Robin’s pose with her hands braced against her knees.

Robin nodes reaching over to run her fingers in Alice’s hair just like she did that time she lifted one of her girlfriend’s hair pens. This time Alice catches her wrist when she’d finished fixing her hair for her.

“Easy Tower Girl.” Robin calmed holding out her hand to show off what she’d been hiding.

“Robin.” Alice gasped her hand trembling as she reached for the white petaled ring resting in the other woman’s palm.

Her answer was drowned by the opening of the bathroom door and the cheery half yell of “I smell cheeseburgers.” But Robin understood well enough as Alice slipped on the ring while the five-year-old races over the short space between the bathroom and bedroom doors to reach the delivery bag Alice had left on the side table.


End file.
